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Saturday, November 8, 2014
Joe's Secret Garden is closed this week because of the SRI Gestapo visit from last Saturday, but the boys intended to use the break to visit the coast, so I hope they made it there.
I was invited to stop out at my friend Oswaldo's place in Challuabamba this afternoon so I made a call to my friends Chris and Bettye who also live out there and popped in to see their new home first. They kindly consented to let me show off their palace.
Chris and Bettye always have wonderful homes and their decorating style is superb. They have a long term lease on this massive home, almost on the mountaintop which has a huge yard area and magnificent views, all the way to Mount Cojitambo. The road up there isn't the greatest but it is definitely worth the climb.
The yard had loads of room for their two large dogs to run and has given them lots of opportunity to use their green thumbs to landscape the grounds.
The home is so huge that they hardly use all of it, and it has a mother-in-law suite below that is used for storage. My home seems like a closet compared to this mansion! Spacious kitchen, two living rooms, two dining areas, maid's quarters, BBQ terrace, real wood-fired bread oven and more.... What a great find for them!
The views are magnificent with Cuenca to the west and Cojitambo and several towns to the east. We watched cloud systems pass through the valley and a rainstorm approaching unusually from the west. I definitely will have to go back there when I have more time.
Then it was off to Oswaldo's to visit for a bit before he had to leave for a supper date with family. All in all, a very lovely day in Challuabamba.
Hope you enjoy the photos. That was the day's excitement, Cheers, Al
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| Chris & Bettye have quite a view to the west |
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| And the view from the yard to the west isn't so shabby either |
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| The Andes provide the eye candy up here |
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| This is the front of the house |
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| That little pointy thing on the horizon to the right is Cojitambo |
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| Cojitambo to the left and almost all Challuabamba below |
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| Only a couple of houses up and behind, serviced by a different road, and this is the dogs' play area |
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| Looking over the home from the dogs' play area |
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| Amazing views from this high |
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| The roof lines are incredible |
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| The home is massive, and has 3 levels |
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| The kitchen is a homemaker's dream |
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| The main dining area is very cozy |
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| You could fit my home in their living room I think |
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| Love the many Miguel Illescas sculptures throughout |
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| This pelican is really neat |
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| Another view of the living room with great ceilings |
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| Small dining area with sculptures |
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| A second living room social area |
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| The master bedroom |
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| Bedroom used as an office |
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| One of my favourite Illescas sculptures |
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| Huge entryway with curved brick ceiling |
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| Better ceiling view of the main living room |
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| Another bedroom to be used as a TV or visiting room |
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| I have claimed this second bedroom for myself! |
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| Watching a rainstorm coming from the west over Cuenca |
